Alvarez in the Ninth  —  Henderson Alvarez comes out for the top of the ninth inning, pitching a no-hitter in a scoreless game.  He'll face the pitcher's spot, Don Kelly, and Andy Dirks as the Tigers and Marlins continue to look for offense.  —  Update: Alex Avila pinch hits and grounds back to the pitcher.

Cardinals set RISP record  —  • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285  —  In a fitting finish to a record-setting season with runners in scoring position, the Cardinals went four for nine in such situations Sunday and scored all their runs in a 4-0 win over the Cubs with two outs.

Yanks Top Astros 5-1 in 14, Enter Uncertain Future  —  HOUSTON — Mark Reynolds hit a tiebreaking homer in a four-run 14th inning, and the New York Yankees went into an offseason of uncertainty Sunday with a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros, whose 15-game losing streak was the longest at the end of the season in more than a century.

Dodgers shut down Matt Kemp  —  LOS ANGELES — Just days before their first playoff appearance in four seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers learned Sunday they'll be without center fielder Matt Kemp throughout the postseason.  —  A Sunday morning MRI to Kemp's injured left ankle showed significant swelling …

Blue Jays host Rays with wild card spot on the line  —  The Sports Network  —  (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays appeared headed toward a postseason spot this weekend, but losing the first two meetings of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays has their playoff fate in a cloud.

Oakland Shuts Out Seattle 9-0 in Finale  —  SEATTLE — Sonny Gray threw five shutout innings in his final start before the playoffs, Oakland had a pair of four-run innings and the Athletics closed out the regular season with a 9-0 win over Seattle in Eric Wedge's final game as Mariners manager.

Mike Piazza returns to enter Mets Hall of Fame as chilly relationships begin to thaw  —  Will his return to Queens on Sunday for the induction signal the beginning of a phase in which the former Met catcher inches toward becoming a more regular presence?  —  This happens when a memory is so intense …

Headley played through knee pain, will have surgery  —  Operation to repair third baseman's torn meniscus slated for Tuesday  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Playing through a knee injury all season, without complaining or making excuses, is another reason Chase Headley is one of the leaders of the San Diego Padres, manager Bud Black said Sunday.

Fresh off new $90M deal, Pence leads Giants over Padres  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Hunter Pence followed his first long-term contract with his first game-ending hit with San Francisco.  —  Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Royals beat White Sox to end best season in 24 years  —  CHICAGO — Bruce Chen pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Sunday in the finale of the Royals' best season in 24 years.  —  Kansas City won three of four in Chicago and went 17-10 …

Final Score: Mets 3 Brewers 2  —  The Least You Should Know...  The Mets tied the game at two in the eighth inning when Juan Centeno attempted to sacrifice Juan Lagares to second, but the Brewers threw the ball away at first, allowing Lagares to score all the way from first base.